This Project is an attempt to create detailed access to the rich Civil War manuscript holdings of the Connecticut Historical Society. The collections presented herein were examined over a period of more than four years beginning in the mid-1990s under the direction of Kelly Nolin. The manuscripts card catalog has been searched extensively for potential Civil War materials within collections which were incompletely processed or which were not subject to modern standards of analytic cataloging methodology. Additional materials continue to be added, but please be aware that these entries are not as comprehensive as those assembled under the original project.

Detailed examinations of many of the collections offer complete transcriptions, itemized content analysis, genealogical or biographical information, anecdotes, quotations, excerpts, etc. The result, we hope, will be both a sophisticated research tool for historians and scholars as well as an enjoyable resource for the more casual browser.

Names are given as they appear in the
manuscripts, as they appear in cataloging
authority files or as they were recorded in the Record
of Service of Connecticut Men in the Army and
Navy of the United States during the War of the
Rebellion (Hartford: Case, Lockwood &
Brainard, 1889)[hereafter cited as Record of
Service]. When the sources differed, the
individual's own rendering of his or her
name was given.

An individual's dates were established, when
possible, by consulting the manuscript
collections themselves which often contain
genealogical or biographical information supplied
by the compiler or the cataloger, or by checking
published and unpublished resources in the
Society's Library. From time to time census
data was consulted as was the Barbour Index
(pre-1850 vital statistics from Connecticut
towns) and the Hale Headstone Index.

Residence was established, when possible, by the
individual's documentary legacy or, when
therein unclear, the Record of Service was
consulted. However, the latter compilation
frequently recorded place of enlistment in lieu
of residence, often without making a written
distinction. When the two sources varied, both
locales were given, with the Record of Service
listing preceding that from the documentary
evidence.

Record of service and company and regimental
affiliation were taken from the Record of
Service. If an individual's personal
account was at variance with the official record,
that fact was duly noted.

Rank represents the highest rank achieved as a
result of the individual's Civil War service
whether earned during the war or awarded
following the individual's term of service.
The Record of Service was the standard
source consulted.

Composition, size and inclusive dates of the
collection may reflect Civil War-era content
only. When material dated 1861-1865 formed only a
part of a larger whole, that fact was noted.

Following each entry is the call number for the
collection. This number is unique to the
collection and it is important that all questions
pertaining to these materials contain this
identification number. Please note Restrictions.

Each citation entry is prefixed with a small image to indicate
which branch of the military a person belonged to, if applicable. These images are:

The Research Center staff of the
Connecticut Historical Society is happy to provide
assistance by telephone (860) 236-5621,
x230, e-mail or correspondence. Patrons
interested in our collections are invited to
visit us at One Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT
06105. The Research Center is open to the public
Tuesday-Friday, noon to 5 PM and Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM. We are
closed Sundays and Mondays. Research services for an hourly fee are available to those who cannot visit in person.

Restrictions

Materials may not be published or
reproduced without the written permission of The
Connecticut Historical Society. Direct
inquiries to theRights & Digital Reproductions staff. When
citing the detailed examinations presented herein
please credit: K. Nolin,
Civil War Manuscripts Project, The Connecticut
Historical Society.

Some donors have imposed restrictions on
collections deposited in the Library of The
Connecticut Historical Society. In other
instances, title to the original material is
unclear. Collections marked as Restrictedindicate such
materials. These manuscripts may be consulted at the CHS.

Acknowledgements

The late Ruth M. Blair, Manuscripts Cataloger,
upon whose work this work so solidly rests.

Marick Douglas Gibson, Project Volunteer.

Thank you to Aetna Volunteers! for
providing grant money to encourage this project.